Though he joins the world in mourning the death of Charlie Hebdo’s staff, Dr Mahathir Mohamad has questioned if their lives are worth more than others.

“I am against war. I am against killing people. I don’t think it is Islamic. I condemn the killings,” he said.

In the same vein, the former prime minister stressed that he also condemned the killing of Iraqis, Afghans, Arabs and so forth.

“They did not do anything to harm the soldiers, or their families. At least the babies, the children, the sick and the old had done nothing to deserve being killed.

“But they were killed. Nobody demonstrated in sympathy with their families over their loss.

“Are the Iraqis, Afghans and Palestine Arabs not of the human race? Is killing hundreds of thousands of them okay, but not 12 Frenchmen?” he asked in his blog.

Mahathir ( right ) questioned if innocent civilians should perish and their nations be crushed for the crimes of their leaders.

 

“If they have a bad leader, should they be killed, their countries devastated and civil war unleashed upon them?

“I do not ask for justice from those who are mighty. Might is always right. But don’t preach to us about human rights, about the right to insult people, about free speech and freedom of the press.

“Just go on killing the people you label as terrorists along with the hundred thousands of collaterals. That is justice,” he said.

History, Mahathir argued, was repeating itself where in the past, Western powers had killed natives by the millions in order to take over their lands.

“There is no change. You are still killing them so as to rid them of their bad leaders, so they will become democratic. It is a great mission. People should understand and appreciate. You are just being helpful,” he said with sarcasm.

Mahathir said there are 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, and most of them accept their fate.

“But two Muslims killed their tormentors, for denigrating their prophet. This is intolerable. Kill them. Then go after the others. Justice (Western style) will be done,” he added in reference to the recent attacks in France.